Re: If the solar panels capture more energy than they need
DrXym asks, "Why... is California not covered in solar panels?"
Why? Because enough can not be manufactured.
In the United States, there is a desire by those in political parties, with high degrees of Red Communist influence, to transfer their economy from dependency on The Middle East (for petrol) to China (for rare metals.)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101101083154.htm
"A lot of rare metals are needed to make photovoltaic panels, rare earth magnets for wind generators, fuel cells and high-capacity batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles. But most industrialized nations, including the United States, are almost entirely dependent on foreign sources for those metals. The only way this is going to change is if there is more domestic exploration and mining, a leading expert says."
With political parties, heavily influenced by Red Communists, in positions of power in the United States - resource mining on public lands have been curtailed, increasing influence of The Far East rare earth imports. Also, with the heavy deficit spending by Red Communist influenced political parties in the United States, the price of petrol continues to rise, to drive the influence to the other side of the globe.
The driving factors for adopting alternative energy is not with energy independance (otherwise domestic mining or domestic drilling on public lands would have seen increased permitting by the American President, rather than decreased permitting over the past 3.5 years.)
The driving factors for adopting alternative energy is not global warming (otherwise domestic mining on public lands woud have seen increased permitting, rather than the American President decreased permitting over the past 3.5 years.)
Clearly, the driving factor why alternative energy sources are not more wide-spread is the bottleneck of natural resources - China is the supplier of nearly 90% of the rare-earths required to make this happen.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/26/us-rareearths-crackdown-idUSBRE88P1ET20120926
"China produces more than 90 percent of rare earths, a group of 17 elements used in defense, electronics and renewable-energy industries."
The Democratic Party control California (and The United States pretty effectively over the past 8 years through the House, President, and Senate) has disposed of energy independance and chosen a new master: Atheistic Red Communist China (90% of rare earths) over Islamist Middle East (40% of imported petrol.)